electronic ballasts

[Welshsparky]

Can i swop a standard ballast and gear tray for an electronic ballast in a 600 x 600 fluorescent fitting? If so how do I go about it?!

 

[lauriehurman]

You can.
I've done it where the florescent fitting was a fancy one rather than a bog standard batten.
I just bought a HF transformer - they have a narrow wattage range so you have to select it carefully.
Obviously your existing batten must be T8 because I think all the new Tri-Phos tubes are T8.
I'll have a look for the invoice to see where I bought the transformer.

Laurie

 

[Darkwood]

The general answer is yes but ensure you comply with manufacturers instructions regarding lengths of some of the cables you connect to as they can be limited, you also may need to alter lengthen existing cabling so an equivalent cable type should be used and not offcuts of 1mm you find lying around.

 

[plugsandsparks]

The new ballast will hopefully have a nice diagram showing how to connect the tubes up. Sometimes 600X600 with 4 tubes use a ballast where 2 tubes are operated together by the ballast, diagram will show this. The existing wiring probably wont reach as the existing starters need to be removed. The wire is also often a solid core which fits in the ballast using IDC connectors.
TBH , the cost of the whole fitting is only a little higher than the ballast for bog std 600X600 recessed jobbies

 

[power ranger]

Welshsparky,
dont think its a good idea to swap the ballast to HF electronic if on same cct as switch start luminaires. The initial switch surge will damage the ballast

 

[Darkwood]

Welshsparky,
dont think its a good idea to swap the ballast to HF electronic if on same cct as switch start luminaires. The initial switch surge will damage the ballast

Not sure where you get your thinking from here but Electronic ballasts have the appropriate suppressors etc to stem mains transients please explain more..... been on or off the same circuit is irrelevant a surge (spike), volts drop etc effect all loads on the same supply.

 

[power ranger]

Not sure where you get your thinking from here but Electronic ballasts have the appropriate suppressors etc to stem mains transients please explain more..... been on or off the same circuit is irrelevant a surge (spike), volts drop etc effect all loads on the same supply.

Just something I was told a few years back , so its just meant that I have always replaced like for like and not mixed magnetic and electronic ballasts on the same cct when switched on at the same time ie office lighting.

However if you thinks thats BS then that will make my life a lot easier.

 

[Darkwood]

Just something I was told a few years back , so its just meant that I have always replaced like for like and not mixed magnetic and electronic ballasts on the same cct when switched on at the same time ie office lighting.

However if you thinks thats BS then that will make my life a lot easier.

There may be some truth in it but I haven't heard and it hasn't stopped me, if this was the case it would be printed within the installation instructions as no manufacturer wants to be getting fittings sent back.